Queens Book Fair 2006 Announces Author sign-up for 2nd Annual Queens Book Fair.
This year's book fair will be held on August 19, 2006 at Rufus King Park in
Jamaica, New York. Last year the Queens Book Fair was held on April 30, 2005 and
was featured in Newsday, May 3, 2005, article "This book fair�s for the
self-published" New York City Edition Neighborhoods section pg. A52.
Self-published authors from around the country flocked the 2005 Queens Book
Fair, along with book lovers around the tri-state area. Queens Borough President
Helen Marshall proclaimed the month of April as Book Month in Queens.

In 2005 the Queens Book Fair presented a Power Networking Breakfast prior to the
opening of the Queens Book Fair to "Connect the Dots" between Corporate,
government, Small Businesses and the literary world.

The fair has generated local buzz for emphasizing the growing phenomenon of
self-published African-American authors. The writers have seized mainstream
publishers� attention by independently printing small quantities of their work
and controlling all of its creative and financial aspects.

The authors� success hinges on marketing strategies as diverse as door-to-door
sales, street vending and arranging book signings at popular restaurants or
nightclubs. But before this year, only Harlem had established an annual book
fair where writers are exposed to thousands of readers in one setting.

The Queens Book Fair attracted hundreds of people to Jamaica Market, and Piper
and Rogers were counting on the event to introduce some writers to a bigger
audience than they've ever enjoyed.

"It was packed," Rogers said. "And I was shocked. It was rainy and we didn�t
think people would show up. But they still came out."

To some degree, the women are all about taking chances. They started their book
business almost by accident a decade ago, while selling gift baskets and floral
arrangements at the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Flea Market in Jamaica.

C & B Books Distribution began bringing used books from their own collections to
sell at the market, selling out each week. A frequent customer soon asked if the
pair could get their hands on books by other African-American authors.

"She asked how soon we could get them, and I said we'd have them for her the
next Saturday," Rogers said. "And I thought, �I don't know how I'm going to get
these, but I'm going to find out.�"

Rogers, 44, not only supplied the requested books, but soon found herself
fielding requests for work by other black writers. Within weeks, she and Piper
were visiting distributor warehouses that stacked dozens of titles from tiny
imprints around the country.

By 2001, the women sensed a revolution stirring in the African-American literary
community. Sister Souljah�s 1999 cautionary coming-of age novel "The Coldest
Winter Ever" had reinvigorated an urban-literature market that had hibernated
for decades, provoking a new generation of black writers to eschew the mythic
glamour of drugs and violence.

Other genres took shape around the same time, including revenge melodramas,
romance thrillers and inspirational memoirs about overcoming abuse, addiction
and lives of crime.

"It�s a whole industry booming within an industry," said Angela Wallace, whose
self-published novel, "Secret Dramas," earned acclaim for its unique hybrid of
soap opera and mob intrigue. "[Writers] are implementing their own imprints. As
a result of that, they're bringing other black authors in under their umbrella.
I think mainstream publishing is noticing that."

Brenda Piper and Carol Rogers established their own tiny umbrella on the
Internet in 2002. In March 2002 Mr. Phil Andrews joined C & B Books as its
Public Relations Director to strengthen C & B Books brand name recognition in
the literary community. C&B Books Distribution eventually opened its first
physical location at the Jamaica Market in October and introduced its newest
location in a compact corner store in Flushing in January.

The partners built their stock through consignment deals with self-published
authors, advising writers through labor-intensive processes such as mission
statements, cover design, press releases and book signings.

While she tirelessly provides encouragement and advice, Piper, 53, insists that
no book will sell without its author�s own follow-through.

"They have to be willing to get out," she said. "They can't just drop their book
at the store and expect the stores to sell their book. We support authors
through C & B Books authors club which promotes self-published authors.

But the women treat the Queens Book Fair like a community service as much as
they do a business endeavor.

The event, which offered seminars and workshops for published and unpublished
writers alike, kicked off with a networking breakfast to help forge partnerships
in New York�s independent literary scene. Readers had the chance to meet and
solicit advice from their favorite authors, as well.

"Harlem and Brooklyn, they already have their recognition - even the Bronx,"
Piper said. "Queens was very low-key, and it�s just starting to blossom."

To be placed on our email list for the 2006 Queens Book Fair or to join our
authors club you may log on to our web site at
www.cbbooksdistribution.com or
you may email us at cbbookdist@aol.com.
The Queens Book Fair is offering a $25.00 bonus discount for all authors who
register before the June 25th deadline.
Log on to www.cbbooksdistribution.com
for more information or to inquire about the Queens Book Fair early registration
bonus.